If You Get Your Blood
Most anemia in pregnant women comes from a lack of vitamin named folate folate helps the body produce healthy new cells including healthy red blood cells. This is something to be aware of if youre blood work shows that youre anemic.
Anemia can cause all kinds of issues while working out including feeling dizzy or fainting, you can become short on breath quickly, or even become tired early on while being physically active.
Rest and eat plenty of dark leafy green if youve been told youre anemic at any point in your pregnancy.
Learn Whats In Store For You And Baby
Among the things to know when expecting a baby? Understanding whats in store for you for the next nine+ months. One of the coolest things after finding out youre pregnant is tracking babys growthfrom the size of an apple seed to a watermelon!and the many changes in your own body via The Bump Pregnancy Week-By-Week guide
While every womans body reacts differently, youre bound to have at least some of the standard early pregnancy symptoms: nausea, cramping and spotting, sore breasts, acne, mood swings, frequent urination, headaches and food cravings and/or aversions, to name a few. Youll also likely experience a level of exhaustion that rivals all the all-nighters you may have pulled. Youll be eating for two and sleeping for two, Minkin jokes. This please-let-me-lie-down kind of tiredness, courtesy of an uptick in progesterone, peaks between 8 to 12 weeks and then starts to ease up.
Aspirin Ibuprofen And Other Non
These can interfere with blood clotting. In the last few weeks of pregnancy they could also cause a problem with the babys heart and lungs. Used late in pregnancy, ibuprofen may interfere with labour or cause you to have less amniotic fluid around the baby. This is called oligohydramnios. A small dose of aspirin is sometimes prescribed in pregnancy . This is considered to be safe.
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Possible Changes In Your Scent
Your dog doesnt have to be a trained sniffing dog in order to have an impressive sense of smell. All dogs can not only pick up on their owners unique scent, but they can memorize this scent and differentiate it from other smells. Due to how well our dogs grow to know our familiar smell, this means they can likely pick up on any subtle changes in our scent as well. If underlying medical conditions have the ability to alter our unique scent, then it makes sense that pregnancy would as well. If this is true, then your dog might identify the change in your smell during your pregnancy and begin to act differently.
Schedule Your First Prenatal Appointment
Your first prenatal appointment may involve confirming the pregnancy with an early ultrasound or blood work and going over your medical history and medications to set your pregnancy off on a healthy start.
A healthcare professional will also calculate your due date and provide lots of information about what to expect during pregnancy.
Be sure to ask your pregnancy care professional lots of questions. Feel free to write some down ahead of your visit. Your prenatal appointments are your opportunity to ask any and all questions to better help you care for yourself during pregnancy.
You should let your doctor or midwife know if youre experiencing any symptoms such as bleeding, cramping, or pain.
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Start To Document Your Pregnancy
As soon as you find out youre pregnant, start documenting!
Take a picture of your belly from the side, even if theres no bump and continue to take pictures regularly. Its so fun to see your belly and baby grow, even in really small stages.
Even when you dont feel pretty, or picture-perfect, snap a photo. I regret not taking more pictures of my growing bump!
Will Anyone Else Be Told About My Abortion
If you have an abortion, no matter what age you are, you have a right for that information to remain confidential. This means that information cant be shared with anyone else without your agreement.
If you have any worries about confidentiality discuss this with the doctor or nurse you speak to about your abortion.
- Your GP doesnt need to know, although many abortion services like to send a letter to your GP. This should only be done with your permission.
- Your partner, or the person you got pregnant with, doesnt have to know about the abortion and has no legal rights to make a decision about whether or not you continue with the pregnancy. You can go ahead with an abortion without a partners knowledge or agreement.
- If youre under 16, you can have an abortion without telling your parents or carers. The doctors will encourage you to tell your parents or another supportive adult, but if you choose not to, you can still have an abortion if the doctors believe that you fully understand whats involved and its in your best interests.
- If you have a learning disability you can have an abortion without telling your carers. However, this is a complex issue and may sometimes require legal advice. If social services are already involved, theyll act in your best interests, which may involve telling parents or carers, with your agreement.
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But What If I Have Pain Or Bleeding
If you have pelvic pain or vaginal bleeding at any time during your pregnancy, call your clinic immediately. It doesnt always indicate a problem with your pregnancy, but it is important that we see you quickly. Visit your nearest emergency room if the clinic is closed. Its hard not to panic in these situations, but try to stay as stress-free as possible for you and your babys overall health.
What Are Some Less Common Signs Of Early Pregnancy
There are some additional signs of early pregnancy that arent as common. Just like with the most common symptoms, these signs of pregnancy may or may not happen. Its important to remember that everyone is different and experiences signs of pregnancy differently.
Less common signs of early pregnancy can include:
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Start With The Pregnancy Basics
- Calculate your baby’s due date. Don’t bother with a pencil and paper just use our handy due date calculator. Not only will it tell you the date you’ll be looking forward to all pregnancy long, it’ll give you a personalized calendar that shows when you’ll hear your baby’s heartbeat, find out your baby’s sex, and more.
- Choose a doctor or midwife. You’ll be seeing a lot of your obstetrician, family physician, or midwife over the coming months, so it’s important to find a good match. Once you’ve made your decision, help get your pregnancy off to a healthy start by scheduling your first prenatal appointment.
- . Some women wait until after the first trimester, when the risk of miscarriage drops, while others announce it right away. Some wait to tell their co-workers or boss to avoid being treated differently at work, while others want their workplace buds to understand why they’re a little green around the gills. Also consider how you’ll make the news public in person, by phone, in writing, or by picture or video . Of course, this should be a joint decision you don’t want to opt for secrecy only to discover that your partner’s already announced the news to 400 Facebook friends.
Try To Stop Smoking And Drinking Alcohol Or Taking Drugs In Pregnancy
Smoking can cause serious complications in pregnancy and birth. Stopping is, by far, one of the best things you can do for your baby. If you have a partner, its also beneficial if they stop smoking too.
It can be difficult to stop smoking, but its never too late and there is lots of support available to help you.
Drinking alcohol can also cause serious complications, especially during the first 3 months. There is no known safe level for drinking alcohol during pregnancy, so you are recommended to avoid it. Find out more about alcohol in pregnancy.
Using illegal or street drugs during pregnancy, including cannabis, ecstasy or cocaine, can have a serious effect on your unborn baby. It’s best not to stop abruptly without getting medical advice. This is because there may be withdrawal problems or other side effects. Your GP or midwife can help you.
Try not to be too hard on yourself if you were doing any of these things before you realised you were pregnant. Talk to your GP or midwife if you have any concerns about your baby.
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Check Your Medicines And Household Products
Did you know the everyday products you use in your beauty routine, over-the-counter meds and cleaning schedule should also be used with caution during pregnancy?
Oh yeah! Many of those unsuspecting products you encounter daily contain toxic chemicals that can be unsafe for your growing baby. I only learned about these things, the more I researched and asked around.
Make sure you read the labels and look for products that are safe to use while pregnant.
Extra Help After The Birth
You may worry that you wont be able to look after a baby. Knowing what help might be available may help you make a decision about your pregnancy.
Here are some of the ways you may be able to get help.
- Your partner, family, and friends. Think about who might be able to help you once the baby is born. If people you trust can help with things such as doing the shopping or looking after the baby, it can be a great support, and enable you to have some time to yourself.
- Your midwife or health visitor can offer advice and support, and put you in touch with local groups where you can meet other parents or get the support you need.
- Social services at your local authority can assess whether you might need extra support. They may be able to provide services such as nursery or day care, or a support worker who can come to your home.
- Home-Start . A volunteer may be able to visit you at home to give free practical and emotional support. You can go directly to your local Home-Start or you can be referred by your doctor, practice nurse, midwife, health visitor or social services.
Legal abortion is a safe way of ending a pregnancy. This is a decision you may make because you dont want to be pregnant.
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How Do You Know If You Are Pregnant
If your periods are normally regular, the most common reason for missing a period is being pregnant. A period which is much lighter than normal or that is unusual in any way may also be a sign of pregnancy. If your cycle is irregular, it is more difficult to know if you have missed a period.
If you are trying for a baby, missing a period may come as a welcome experience. If you arent, it is important to consider whether you have had unprotected intercourse since your last period or whether there was any situation where your contraceptive may have failed, e.g. broken condoms, or diarrhoea/vomiting if on the pill.
If you feel there is any chance you might be pregnant, you can take a home pregnancy test yourself, or make an appointment with your General Practitioner .
Brush Up On Your Maternity Leave Options
What else is on the list of what to do after a positive pregnancy test? Head to the benefits department. Once youve shared the news with your employer, learn about maternity leave and insurance perks. Depending on your policies, there could be lactation consultant home visits, a free nutritionist, prenatal vitamins, even a free breast milk pump, Romans says. At a minimum, the Family and Medical Leave Act allows you to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave . Make sure to ask when and how to add baby to your health insurance, since a newborn is only eligible for enrollment within the first 30 days after birth and wont be subject to any preexisting conditions, even if they have one.
Now that you know what to do after a positive pregnancy test, you can feel a little less panicked and a lot more empowered. You have time, so be kind to yourself and take it milestone by milestone. Prioritize your health and happiness, and everything else will fall into place. Youve got this.
About the experts:
, MD, is a clinical professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. She also received her medical degree there.
Anja Pierre is a personal trainer in New York City and the co-founder of BYOBFit.
Christine Romans, is CNNs chief business correspondent, the anchor of Smart Start and author of Smart is the New Rich: Money Guide for Millennials.
Plus, more from The Bump:
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Start Taking A Prenatal Vitamin
If youre not already, start taking a prenatal vitamin. This will supplement your diet and ensure that your growing baby get the nutrients you need.
A regular multivitamin is better than none at all, but prenatal vitamins are specifically designed to provide the right nutrients during pregnancy. Prenatal vitamins can help ease symptoms of morning sickness and more importantly, prevent certain birth defects .
A word of caution: taking your vitamins on an empty stomach may cause nausea. I always take my prenatal vitamins with a meal or before bed .
I absolutely love SmartyPants Prenatal Complete Gummy Vitamins because they taste amazing, and theyre spread out in smaller doses so they never made me feel nauseous.
If youre not yet expecting, but hoping to conceive, go ahead and start taking your prenatal vitamins now. Also, you dont need to stop taking them immediately after you give birth. A prenatal vitamin is still beneficial during your recovery and especially if you are breastfeeding.
Timing Of First Visit
The HSE states that ideally you should see your doctor before you are 12 weeks pregnant. Most women will generally go around the seven-week mark. If you are eager, you can go earlier than this to have your pregnancy confirmed, however you will probably be charged for this visit unless you are a medical card holder.
It is worth noting that home pregnancy tests are sometimes more sensitive than the urine test your GP will do, so if you go too early your doctor’s test may not even pick up the pregnancy hormone yet!
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Am I Definitely Pregnant
If you might be pregnant, you should take a pregnancy test.
You can do a pregnancy test from the first day of a missed period. If you take a test before this time, the level of pregnancy hormone, human chorionic gonadotrophin , may be too low to show up on the test and you may get a negative result even if youre pregnant.
If you dont know when your period is due, the earliest time to take a test is three weeks after your last unprotected sex.
You can buy a pregnancy test from a pharmacy, or you can ask for a test to be done at:
- your general practice
- a young peoples service
- most NHS walk-in centres
- a sexual health or genitourinary medicine clinic.
For details on how to find one of these services see Where to get help.
What If Im Not Sure I Want To Be Pregnant
If youre pregnant and dont feel ready to be a parent and dont want to have a baby, you have options, including adoption or abortion.
Some people find it helpful to talk with their partner, a supportive family member, friends, or a therapist if theyre considering termination or adoption. You can also ask your doctor for guidance and support.
No matter what you choose, having a support system before, during, and after can be very beneficial.
Just remember: The decision to continue or terminate your pregnancy is yours alone to make. No one should pressure you to make a decision youre not comfortable with. You alone know whats right for you.
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Take A Walk Or Get Some Physical Activity Planned For Your Week
Speaking of physical activities, plan a walk or a session at the nearby track sometime in the near future. Physical activity during pregnancy has countless benefits, plus itll keep your morning sickness down as well.
If you arent feeling up to being active due to feeling extremely tired or nauseous catch up with a bit of activity when your second-trimester wind hits.
Start Thinking Of How Youll Announce Your Pregnancy
Its so fun to let others know you are pregnant. The timing of when to announce your pregnancy is up to you. Here are some memorable ways to let your parents know youre pregnant as well as adorable ways to let your family know youre pregnant.
Then, when youre ready to announce it to the masses here are some ideas:
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Dont Stress Yourself Out
Easier said than done for sure, but stress is detrimental to your health . Try to minimize it as much as possible!
Whether its a hot mug of calming pregnancy tea or a prenatal massage, treat yourself regular to relaxation. Growing a baby is hard workyou deserve it!
Also, try to avoid reading too much about pregnancy complications and childbirth mishaps both in books and online. While its ok to be aware of possibilities, focusing on negative outcomes will likely only serve to freak you out.
Take care of yourself mama, and focus on the positive!
Not Sure if Youre Pregnant? Learn About These 10 Early Pregnancy Symptoms Before Your Missed Period
